


Of Truth and Lies

by TigStripe



Series: End of an Era [4]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Family Drama, First Kiss, Gen, M/M, Mild Angst, Politics, Pride, Slow Burn, Unreciprocated? love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-04 22:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13373979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigStripe/pseuds/TigStripe
Summary: When Poe's father arrives on base as a diplomat for Yavin IV, plans are set into motion that could make or break the Resistance as a force to stand against the First Order. Poe must deal with his history with his father while discovering just how important Finn is to him.Part 3 of the End of an Era series, which utilizes a canon created in "Make Your Own Hope."





	1. Chapter 1

Every time Finn saw Poe limping around the base, his heart ached. Later on, Rey told him it was empathy that caused Finn's leg to hurt when he looked at Poe's when he walked around on crutches. He didn't know what empathy was – it certainly wasn't a concept they taught in the Order – but he hated it when it had to do with Poe.

The Resistance had established its new base on Yavin IV, just a few dozen kilometers from Poe's hometown. There'd been a raid recently by the First Order, shortly after they'd arrived, that resulted in quite a few injuries, including giving Poe a concussion, two broken ribs, and a fracture of his left tibia. Rose had devised a plan to jam every electrical system the First Order had brought against them, but it had required Poe to do something daring and stupid – the only kind of maneuvers he knew. Finn and Leia had each promised him a good slap once he'd recovered.

But now, three days and several bacta sessions later, Poe seemed to finally be getting back up and running. The medics were okaying him to start rehab to get back into the pilot's seat, which is where the Resistance needed him most with the Order knowing their location.

That wasn't Finn's concern, though – he was just happy Poe was back up and on his feet. The past few days had been pretty rough, with taking care of the injured pilot, dealing with Rose's inflated ego over her plan working, and Rey's reclusiveness. For some reason, since the raid, Rey had been more withdrawn than usual, meditating instead of socializing. Finn figured it was a Jedi thing, and left it at that, although he did miss talking and laughing with her in the mess hall most meals.

It was in the mess hall that Finn heard the news from Jess Pava, one of the pilots of Poe's Black Squadron. The diplomat from the nearby settlement of Beyton would be making his visit that afternoon. It wouldn't have concerned Finn, but since learning the identity of the diplomat, Poe had been on edge. When she announced that during lunch, Poe let his head fall and hit the table in front of him.

“It's time, Poe,” Jess said, crossing her arms.

“I don't get it,” Finn muttered, putting a reassuring hand on Poe's back. “Why doesn't Poe want to see his father?”

“They didn't leave on good terms when Poe decided to defect to the Resistance,” Jess replied with a shrug. Poe raised his head and gave her a dirty look. “What? You didn't.”

“He said I was dishonoring my mother's memory by 'turning against' the Republic's decision to remain skeptical of the rumors of the First Order,” Poe chanted, almost as if he'd rehearsed the reason. Finn realized he probably had said it a lot to himself right after it happened.

“Well, I can see how he would think that, when they were just rumors,” Finn replied thoughtfully, “but the Order is very real, and it's already destroyed most of the Republic's homeworlds. Maybe your father feels differently now.”

Jess shook her head. “I dunno, Finn. Yavin's been pretty neutral in all this, even after Starkiller base. 3PO's droid network never let us believe that the leadership here was interested in taking on the Order.”

Finn hugged Poe from the side. “Well, whatever he says, remember you have family here.”

Poe gave Finn a weak smile and a nod, then returned to his lunch.

Later that afternoon, the General asked to see Poe in the command center. Finn saw the man's jaw tighten and his shoulders slump for a moment before he stood up tall and started walking. Taking Poe's hand in his, Finn walked with him, waiting up so Poe could walk without the crutches. The closer they came to the command center, the tighter Poe's fingers pressed into Finn's hand. Finally, they stood outside the command center. Poe released Finn's hand, stood up straight, and opened the door.

Inside were the usual faces – General Organa, Commander D'Acy, the Admirals Orenza and Rall from the other Resistance forces, as well as a smattering of communication specialists at various terminals around the room. But standing in the center of the room with the General, at first with his back to the door, was a sturdy-looking middle-aged man with tan skin and considerable amounts of grey in his dark hair. He turned when he heard the door open, and Finn immediately knew who this man was – Poe's father, Kes Dameron.

“Poe. It's great to see you,” Kes said, a smile on his face. He reached out with both arms and embraced his son, who, wide-eyed, hesitantly returned the hug. Finn couldn't help but smile, both at the sentiment of the gesture and Poe's expression, which had melted from steely dedication to panic in less than a second.

Kes distanced himself from his son and looked at Finn, then looked him up and down once. “And this is the infamous Captain Finn,” he said. “I've heard tales of your bravery against the First Order, son, and I'm glad to hear you've been looking after my boy.”

Finn felt his face heat up and he clasped his hands behind his back, as if he were addressing a superior officer. “It's been a pleasure working with the Captain,” he said rather robotically.

Kes gave Finn an unsteady gaze. “None of that, now. I'm not Resistance. I'm a part of the mayor's office in Beyton. I'm not military. Not anymore.”

Finn relaxed a little, but kept his hands behind his back. He looked over at Poe, whose face had resumed its neutral, waiting expression.

“Mr. Dameron is here to discuss our intentions with our presence on Yavin IV,” the General said. “Let's all sit down and have a nice chat, shall we?”

They adjourned to the nearby briefing room, where the Admirals, the General, Kes, Poe, and Finn all sat around a round table to talk. Finn sat next to Poe, who was across the table from his father. Finn couldn't help but notice Poe's eyes had trouble looking away from his father's face.

“I'll be frank,” Kes began, folding his hands together on the table. “Your presence here concerns the citizens of Beyton. You've been here a week, and have already had a monumental struggle against the First Order. We had to step in ourselves to scare off the cruisers in orbit.” He sighed. “And the fact that the Order knows you're here means they'll return with greater numbers, eventually.”

Leia nodded. “We've considered our options, Mr. Dameron, and Yavin was the best one, from both strategic and political standpoints. No other world could we find that would harbor such strong feelings of unity against an overwhelming force such as the Order.”

“It does leave something to be desired for its defendability,” Admiral Orenza agreed. “Your concern is valid, and Beyton is indeed in danger with our presence here.”

Kes opened his hands in a sign of uncertainty. “The Order will be back,” he repeated. “The fact that we stood against their heavy cruisers before has likely put a bounty on our heads, as well.”

Poe's brow lowered into suspicion.

“That does seem the likely scenario,” Leia agreed, her expression also cautious. “What do you propose, Mr. Dameron?”

“The citizens of Beyton are demanding the Resistance to act as their defender in the coming raids,” Kes replied. “We have a militia that can assist, but with the trained pilots in the Resistance, we stand a much better chance of survival against repeated attacks from the Order.”

Finn looked over at Poe, who had tightened his jaw again. His brow was furrowed, but Finn couldn't tell if he was angry, or just thinking.

“That's quite a demand,” Admiral Rall replied. “We barely have the resources to defend ourselves, let alone an establishment the size of Beyton.”

“Now that we've been dragged into this conflict,” Kes said, “Beyton does have additional resources we can utilize against the First Order. I have the schematics with me for a planetary defense grid that would essentially lock out the First Order from Yavin IV, but we lack the manpower to construct it in a timely manner. We could suffer two or three raids by the time the grid is established.”

He handed Leia the datapad, and she looked over it intently.

“Beyton is also agreeing to allow Resistance members to seek shelter in its city limits as long as our demands of protection are met,” Kes continued. “And, in the event that you manage to draft a sizeable number of reinforcements, Beyton is fully willing to cooperate with the Resistance as a head base of operations, as long as it is defended from the Order.”

Poe shook his head. It was a tiny movement, one that Finn didn't think anyone else noticed, but it was there.

“That's quite generous of you, Mr. Dameron,” Admiral Orenza said. “It will certainly make any decision to stay much easier.”

“The First Order brings back a lot of bad memories for the older inhabitants of the colony,” Kes explained. “Many of us are too old to defend ourselves, but would hate to see this galaxy go the way of the Empire again.”

“We will certainly consider all this,” Leia answered, handing him back the datapad. “We will discuss our options, and I promise to get an answer to the mayor's office in the next solar day.”

“That is acceptable,” Kes said. “I will return to Beyton, then, and prepare the mayor for your decision.”

Everyone at the table stood up, except for Finn and Poe, and shook on it. Then, Leia turned to Poe. “Captain, if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Dameron to his shuttle.”

Finn's eyes snapped to Poe, who simply nodded, his face neutral.

They left the briefing room, walking as slowly as they needed to for Poe's sake, with Finn in the middle of the two men.

The sun was bright that day, and the air crisp and cool. It was a nice walk, all things considered, to the tarmac where the shuttle sat waiting. They walked in silence until they reached the shuttle.

Finally, Poe looked at his father and said, “I don't get it.”

Kes looked back at his son before boarding the shuttle, an almost tired look on his face. “I'm sorry?”

Poe leaned on his good leg and crossed his arms. Finn knew the look on his face all too well from his dealings with Holdo – it was the look he used when he smelled a secret. “You hated the Resistance. You hated me for _joining_ the Resistance. You even told me you wouldn't have me fight the Order after Hosnian Prime was destroyed. But here you are, offering your entire world to us. Why?”

Kes stepped back from the shuttle and up to Poe. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Poe, I never once hated the Resistance, or you for joining it. I hated that it would get you hurt. I hated the idea that I may one day outlive my son.”

Finn saw Poe's expression change and his weight shift onto his bad leg, and he nearly fell over. His father caught him, and helped him stand up.

“Listen,” Kes said as he put his hands on the sides of his son's face, “I love you, Poe. I am _proud_ of what you've accomplished with the Resistance. But that doesn't mean I can't worry about you, or stay awake at night, wondering if you've died on some mission and they just haven't told me yet. Or blame the people leading you for when that day comes.”

“You make it sound like it's bound to happen,” Poe replied with a tired voice.

Kes's expression softened, and his hugged his son. When they broke apart, Kes looked over at Finn, giving him a stern expression. “You take care of my son.”

Finn reached up and felt the lump on his sternum. He nodded. Kes looked down at Finn's hand, his eyes delaying on his neck. Finn's heart froze. Did he see the necklace? Did he know Finn now wore his late wife's ring around his neck?

Kes smiled warmly, and shook Finn's hand with a nod. Then he turned and boarded his shuttle, leaving the two on the tarmac to watch him fly off.

Finn moved over and put his hand on Poe's back. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Poe didn't say anything, his eyes following his father's retreating shuttle. He just nodded.


	2. Clearing Your Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Finn finds Poe meditating in an attempt to relax, the truth comes out: it's _Finn's_ fault that Poe can't concentrate lately.

That evening, Poe didn't show up to the mess hall for dinner. When Finn asked Black Squadron about it, Jess and Snap just shrugged. Rose, Karé, and BB-8 were no help, either. Concerned, Finn made his way to Poe's stateroom near the squad's hangar. He rapped on the door, but there was no answer. He trudged to the medbay, where the medic droid on duty alerted him that Poe had missed that afternoon's physical therapy for his leg. With panic beginning to rise up in his throat, Finn turned to General Organa for help.

Leia was in the command center, as usual, plotting out potential systems to ask for assistance against the Order, when Finn stormed in. He got a lot of surprised stares, but Leia just offered him that kind, knowing expression that he'd seen her use on Poe several times now.

“Captain, what can I do for you?” Leia asked, gently placing her hands together.

“Poe's...” Finn stopped and shook his head. “I, uh, Captain Dameron is missing.”

Leia considered this carefully. “You've checked the medbay and his room?”

Finn nodded.

“Lieutenant,” Leia said, turning to a specialist at a nearby console. “Can you please summon Captain Dameron to the command center?”

“Right away, General,” she replied, turning to her console. Finn heard the announcement over the comms, then sat in a chair near the door to wait.

Five minutes passed, and Poe did not appear.

Ten minutes passed, and still no Poe.

With every passing minute, Finn felt his face get hotter and his breath shorter. Leia watched him carefully from her station in the center of the room, her eyes locked onto his face.

Finally, Rose appeared in the doorway, a smile on her face. “Finn, we found Poe,” she said.

Finn stood to his feet and almost pushed off the ground entirely in his hurry. He felt a light, openness overtake him, and his breathing steadied. Elsewhere in the room, Leia smiled.

“Where is he?” Finn demanded.

“He's in the auditorium,” Rose replied. “The one that isn't hooked up to the comms system,” she added to the General. “I'll get on that first thing in the morning.”

Leia nodded.

Rose led Finn away from the command center after he issued a grateful bow to the General, to the far side of the base, which was lined with numerous large buildings Finn hadn't noticed until now. Some of them were barracks, while there was an enclosed hangar nearby and a small auditorium in the furthest building out. It had a large scorch mark on its roof where a TIE fighter had slammed into it from the EMP attack.

The two crept up to the side of the auditorium and peeked in through a window. Finn was confused – why weren't they just going inside? Once his eyes adjusted to the different lighting, he realized why.

Facing each other in total silence, unmoving, upright with their legs crossed, their arms relaxed, and their eyes closed, were Rey and Poe. They were meditating together.

“That's why they used the disconnected auditorium,” Rose whispered. “I guess Rey likes this place for her meditation. I'll let the General know.” She stood up and patted Finn on the back. “And don't do anything to screw them up, Finn. This kind of thing is important.” And with that, the little mechanic was gone.

Finn watched Rose leave, confused by what she'd meant by 'important,' and turned back to watch the two sit in total silence. He wasn't the most patient of people, and watching two people meditate was not on his list of exciting passtimes, but Finn sat as long as he could, his eyes locked on one of them at a time.

A few minutes passed. Finn realized he was getting a cramp in his leg. He stood up straighter and stretched, trying not to make any noise. When he finished, he saw that Poe had left the room, leaving Rey in her trance alone.

Finn walked to the corner of the building and peered around to see Poe standing outside, stretching his limbs. Poe stared up into the darkening sky, his hands on his hips. Finn wondered if it was okay to approach, and decided to take his chances. With a footfall more confident than he felt, Finn rounded the corner.

Poe saw his friend appear and offered him a genuine smile. He obviously had no idea how worried Finn had been, or the entire base had been alerted of his absence.

“Hey, buddy,” Poe said quietly, not wanting to disturb Rey. He noticed the look on Finn's face and frowned. “Did something happen?”

Finn stopped short of Poe and rather awkwardly rubbed his own arm. “I didn't know where you were, and it kind of scared me,” he admitted.

Poe blinked several times, taking in that statement in full. He chuckled. “I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't mean to worry you.” He closed the gap between them and put his hand on Finn's arm. “I won't leave the base without telling you, okay?”

Finn shook his head. “No, it's fine. You should be allowed that freedom. I just panicked.”

Poe looked Finn straight in the eye. “Listen, Finn. I don't ever want you to feel uncomfortable. If not knowing where I am does that, I'll just have to show you all my secret hideaways so you know where to look.” He grinned.

Finn nodded, a little unsure if that was what he really wanted.

“So, what were you doing here, anyway?” Finn asked, looking into the auditorium at Rey's still-unmoving form.

“Meditating,” Poe replied simply. He led Finn back toward the rest of the base. “I've had a lot of very important people in my life, Finn, and a lot of them believe in the power of meditation. It's something I've done whenever I feel stressed, ever since I was a kid.”

“You mean a kid growing up here on Yavin?”

Poe nodded. “That's right. I even have a favorite spot to do it.”

“So did it work?” Finn asked. “Do you feel better?”

Poe stopped and looked at the ground for a moment while he thought. He looked up at Finn, his expression...uncertain. “You know, I'm not sure,” he admitted. “We've been through a lot recently. I just wanted a chance to clear my mind, but my mind just didn't want to clear.”

“Well, maybe talking about it can help,” Finn suggested. “I can lend an ear.”

Poe's eyes went wide for a moment and he shook his head, probably a little more vigorously than he'd intended. “No, no, that's okay. It might just be that I can really only meditate in one special place.”

Finn crossed his arms and gave Poe a dubious look. “And where's this 'special place,' Poe?”

“There a tree on my family's property in Beyton,” Poe said, looking up at the stars again. “I've never felt so connected to my surroundings than when I meditate underneath it. Leia once said it was a force-sensitive tree. I believe her.”

“Trees can be force-sensitive?” Finn asked, surprised. “I've never heard of anything like that before.”

Poe laughed. “It's about the only place I can keep my mind at peace for longer than a minute.”

The thought lingered in Finn's mind for only a moment. He nodded. “Let's take advantage of where we are, then. Let's get you some time under that tree.”

The pilot gave Finn a wild look. “What? But that would mean going-”

“Home.”

“I dunno, buddy. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back yet.”

Finn reached out and took Poe's hand. It was much warmer than the cool night air. Finn saw him shiver, just a little bit. Poe's eyes were drawn to their contact, staring down at their hands together. When Finn opened his mouth again, Poe looked up to meet his gaze.

“If it helps you, you need to try it,” Finn urged. “If a clear mind will help, let's do it.”

Finn couldn't read Poe's expression, but it seemed almost _pained_. Poe looked down at Finn's chest, where he knew his mother's ring rested, and back up to Finn's face. “Finn, I-”

Finn raised his eyebrows, waiting, but Poe turned his face away, his cheeks rosy. “Poe, are you feeling okay? You've got some color.”

Poe let out a strained laugh and he let go of Finn's hand. He turned away from Finn for a moment, still laughing, then turned back to his friend. Concerned, Finn just watched in silence.

“You really don't know, do you,” Poe whispered, a smirk on his face and his eyes locked on Finn's. There was a light in them that Finn hadn't seen before – a stern excitement that seemed to spread across Poe's entire face. “This is your fault, pal. As much as I try, I can't clear my mind. I can't concentrate lately, and it's your fault.”

Guilt ripped into Finn's gut. _His_ fault? He was causing Poe such turmoil? “My fault? What did I do? I don't understand.”

Poe lifted a hand to his forehead and laughed. “Of course you don't! You were conditioned from a child. You _wouldn't_ understand why _you_ make it so I can't clear my mind.” The emphasis on 'you' almost punched Finn in the jaw. Poe turned away from his friend, thinking.

“I'm sorry, Poe,” Finn said in earnest. “If there's anything I can do to help, you'd tell me, right?”

Poe shook his head. He didn't look at Finn.

“Poe, you okay, buddy?” Finn asked quietly, a rush of adrenaline creeping up his neck.

Poe rounded on Finn, his eyes locked onto Finn's. He reached up and grabbed Finn by the tunic with both hands. Finn felt the pilot pull on his clothes, and suddenly the two men were locked at the lips. Finn froze in place, his eyes wide. Poe's lips – soft, but firm – were all he could feel. It...tingled. He couldn't focus on Poe's face – he was far too close for that – but he saw his eyes were closed. He felt Poe breathing on him, but he couldn't bring himself to breathe normally. It was like every system in his body had shut down.

The kiss lasted only a moment before Poe pulled back and stepped away from Finn, his eyes locked on Finn's. Finn still found he couldn't really move, but he was able to lift a hand to his mouth, feeling his lips. The tingling sensation lingered, and almost seemed to spread. Finn felt his whole face tingle. Poe looked almost angry, but Finn couldn't tell from what.

They stood there, staring for a long moment, before Finn finally found his voice. “Poe, _what the hell?_ ”

Finn's voice seemed to jar Poe awake. His eyes softened and his jaw loosened. “Finn, I'm-”

“ _Warn me_ the next time you wanna pull something like that,” Finn accused, realizing that he was suddenly furious with Poe for some reason.

Poe raised an eyebrow. “Next time?”

Finn stood up straight, surprised by his own words. He blushed. “I, uh, I mean-”

“I'm sorry, pal. It just kind of _happened_.”

Finn fumed for a moment, but only for a moment. “So when you say it's my fault-”

“I can't get you out of my head, Finn.” The words were quiet, but Finn felt Poe's entire being in each syllable. The pilot averted his gaze.

Finn sighed. He stepped up to his friend and placed a hand on Poe's shoulder. He found Poe's eyes and looked straight into them. Poe smiled. “We're going to get you some peace of mind, Poe, I promise. We'll get me out of your head.”

The pilot's smile disappeared instantly. This was clearly not the reaction he was expecting. “Wait, what?”

Finn heard footfalls behind him. He looked back to see Rey approaching them, curiosity clearly written across her face. “Rey, would you help me get Poe to Beyton? I can't pilot a shuttle.”

“Beyton? Why?” Rey asked. “Is something wrong with Poe?”

Poe chuckled darkly, not looking at either of them. Finn nodded. “Sort of, but it's not my place to say,” he said.

Rey nodded. “Sure, I can help. Let's head to the hangar.”

It was getting late – lights out was almost twenty minutes ago – as the trio approached the shuttle hangar. As they came upon an available transport, Rey paused. She grabbed Finn's arm, and Finn stopped Poe. Hurried footsteps approached, then passed without revealing who had been out so late. They were heavier footfalls, probably a male, and the sound of a cloak swishing in the night air also reached Finn's ears. Someone had just parked a shuttle and was rushing back to the base.

Not wanting to attract attention to themselves, either, the trio moved to the shuttle and boarded without a problem. Rey plopped herself down in the pilot's seat, and Finn helped Poe sit comfortably in the back. Finn wanted to comfort him with a hand on his arm, but thought better of it for right now.

“I'm not hurt, Finn, you can stop,” Poe said, his voice tired.

“I won't stop for anything,” Finn insisted. “Step on it, Rey.”

“What good is meditating under a tree going to do for something like this, Finn?” Poe demanded, his voice turning angry again.

Finn looked Poe in the eye. “Do you trust me?” he asked.

Poe blinked, surprised by the question. “What? Of course I trust you,” he replied. “What does that-”

“Just trust me,” Finn interjected. “It's better this way.”

Poe narrowed his eyes, utter disbelief warping his face. “ _Better?_ ”

Finn gave him a half-cocked grin. “Don't worry, buddy.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be very, very different.  
> Poe decided the way this went, not me.


	3. Secret's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once Poe clears his mind and starts to feel normal again, the base on Yavin IV gets a rather surprising visitor.

Rey leaned against the fence post with her arms crossed, looking up into the night sky. She took a deep breath. They'd been there for almost half an hour now, but she of all people knew you couldn't rush meditation. Unfortunately for her, Rey found the force-sensitive tree on Kes's property to be unnerving – something about it really just didn't feel _right_ to Rey. So she had decided to wait closer to the house for Poe. Finn had disappeared inside the house, probably resting his eyes or talking with Kes.

Kes had been surprisingly accommodating towards their sudden intrusion onto his property. When Finn explained that Poe was having trouble meditating, Poe's father had clapped his son on the shoulder and shoved him toward the tree without so much as a word. Rey felt a little jealousy at that – Kes and Poe were family and had enough history to know what each other needs without saying much at all.

The door to Kes's house opened and Finn appeared in the doorway. “Rey,” he called, “would you like a drink? Come sit down.”

Rey looked over at her friend and shook her head. He sighed and walked out to meet her.

“Come on, Rey. Come inside. It's cold out here,” Finn said.

“I like the cold,” Rey lied. After Starkiller base, Rey would probably hate any temperature that wasn't “Jakku.”

“Suit yourself, but Poe could be at this for a while,” Finn suggested. “At least come in and rest if you get tired of standing there.”

Rey smiled to her concerned friend. “I'll be fine, Finn, but thank you.”

As Finn turned to return to the house, Rey raised her voice just a little. “So why _did_ Poe need to come all the way to Beyton to meditate? What was distracting him?”

Finn stopped and took a deep breath. He turned back to look at her, his face unreadable. “He's in love.”

 _That explains a lot, actually_ , Rey thought. She shrugged. “Okay, but that's good, isn't it?”

Finn turned fully to face Rey, his arms crossed and his expression stern. “Love clouds judgment. It hinders reaction times. It can have drastic consequences to logic and forethought.”

Rey considered this, then nodded. “You're not wrong,” she admitted, “but love isn't something to be abolished, Finn. Love is good. It helps us focus on the important things, and makes us fight harder to protect them.”

Finn laughed. “I know, Rey. Just because the First Order drilled it out of us didn't mean we don't understand how important something like love actually is. But Poe needs to be able to relax, and if he can't, he'll suffer.”

Rey looked behind her, at the tree under which Poe sat still, facing away from his father's house. Just looking at the tree was difficult for Rey. It looked twisted, like it had decided halfway through its life to grow a different direction. It also had dark patches here and there along its branches, and she couldn't help but think that had something to do with the nature of the Force in recent years, with Snoke and Kylo Ren rising to power.

She looked back at Finn and nodded. “I'll keep an eye on him. Get some rest, Finn.”

Finn smiled. “Thanks.” He turned and headed inside.

Poe meditated under Rey's supervision for close to an hour before she saw him finally stand up and stretch. When he turned toward he house, he noticed her standing out near the road and waved. She waved back. Poe decided to approach Rey first.

“Have a good chat with yourself?” Rey asked teasingly.

Poe chuckled. “More of a fist fight, really. I really beat myself up.”

Rey reached out and placed a hand on Poe's arm as he leaned on the fence. “You shouldn't beat yourself up over love, Poe.”

Poe's face reddened and he stood up straight. “What did Finn tell you?”

“That you were in love and it was preventing you from meditating properly,” Rey replied with a shrug. “Why? Is there _more?_ ”

“Uh, n-no, no. Nothing else,” Poe stammered, his face redder than before. Rey just laughed.

“Well, let's go inside and let Finn know you're done,” Rey suggested. “It's late. We should be getting back to base.”

Poe nodded and followed Rey along the fence until he could join her side. They entered the house from the front, surprising a napping Finn in the front living area.

Kes appeared to see them off at the front door. He hugged Poe tight. “You three look out for each other,” he ordered. All three of them gave him their word that they would do just that.

As they boarded their shuttle back to base, Poe found himself in the pilot's seat. Finn and Rey piled in behind him, and soon they were headed back to base. They arrived back at base without incident, and each of them bid each other a good night's rest before parting ways.

 

The next morning, Poe found Finn in the shooting gallery on his way to physical therapy for his leg. He stopped and watched Finn from behind as the former First Order trooper nailed every shot he aimed. Poe smirked. Why was it that Stormtroopers just couldn't seem to hit anything? Finn had excellent aim.

“Hey, buddy,” Poe called after Finn finished his clip. He approached the gallery and wrapped an arm around Finn's shoulder.

“Mornin', Poe,” Finn replied. “How's your head?”

Poe laughed. “Clear as a bell. I slept like a baby on tranqs. And I owe it all to you, pal.”

Finn grinned. “Yeah? I'm glad I could help.”

Poe separated from his friend and casually crossed his arms. “I, uh, I owe you an apology for going nuts last night. I'm sorry.”

“No you don't,” Finn replied with a shake of his head. “But, I'm curious: now that your head is cleared, how do you feel about...that whole situation?” The last few words were said with slight hesitation, and Poe noticed Finn's face turn just a shade darker in a blush.

Poe patted Finn on the back and gave him a friendly smile. “I feel _exactly_ the same, pal.” He leaned in and whispered, “There's a reason I gave you my mother's ring, you know.” He patted Finn on the back again and turned to walk away, content with his confession.

Finn stood there silently, watching Poe walk away, his face hot.

As Poe continued on his route to the medbay, someone else caught his eye. The General called him over, a datapad in her hand. She handed it to Poe. Her face was tight with concern. “This was caught on holovid last night,” she said.

Poe felt cold rush up his spine. “General, I can explain-”

“Oh, no, I don't care about you three going to Beyton,” Leia said dismissively. “I trust you, and I trust your father. It's who arrived right before you left.”

Poe watched the recording on the datapad. Indeed, they _had_ heard someone arrive right before leaving the base last night. A shuttle landed, depowered, no lights or anything, in the hangar they had used. He could actually see the three of them off in the corner of the recording, but the focus was on a cloaked individual disembarking from a the shuttle. The figure's face was mostly obscured by the cloak's hood, but Poe recognized a facial hair style peeking out from the bottom.

“Is that Admiral Rall?” Poe whispered. Leia nodded. Poe replayed the video, realizing something else about the shuttle. “The shuttle's entry vector. It came from the south. Beyton is to the east.”

Leia nodded again.

“Do we know anything about what's to the south of here?” Poe asked, wracking his memory of his childhood home. He drew a blank.

“Just trees,” Leia replied. “Lots and lots of trees.”

This was unsettling. Why would an Admiral leave in the middle of the night – unescorted – in a direction no one of note was located?

“What does this mean, General?” Poe's eyes bore a similar look of concern that Leia's did.

Leia shook her head. “It means we have to keep an eye on one of our own, for all our sakes. I'll be questioning him regarding this, but I wanted you to be aware.”

“Isn't this better suited for someone of a higher rank?” Poe asked, probably a little more angrily than he'd anticipated.

“I don't understand what you mean, Commander.”

Poe narrowed his eyes. “Wait, Commander?”

“Your actions in saving this establishment, combined with your previous achievements, and a little bit of afterthought on my part about how necessary it truly was to take down that Dreadnaught, all together mean that I can't afford to not have you as a Commander of the Resistance.” Every word carried the weight of truth to Poe's ears, and he couldn't help but smile.

“I won't let you down, General. Not again.”

She reached up and patted Poe on the face. “You've never let me down, Poe. I trust you won't start now.”

 

The next few days were rather stressful. Kes and several technicians from Beyton had arrived to complete their planetary defense grid with the assistance of some of the mechanics and technicians from the Resistance. As a result, Rose and Rey were both rather scarce, leaving Poe and Finn to their daily tedium of target practice, physical therapy, resource meetings with the General, and other “important things.” Poe had Jess and the rest of Black Squadron, who were all happy to have Finn hang around in his down time, too.

The truth was that Poe understood how important all these meetings and things were, but it still bothered him that he was necessary for them. Ah, the joys of being reinstated as a Commander.

Finn had been distant since Poe's little confession, but Poe didn't mind. To him, everything was clearer now, thanks in no small part to Finn himself. Poe felt more like himself now than he had before Canto Bight. To Poe, Finn's distance was essential in Finn figuring out where he stood, as well. After all, he hadn't stopped wearing the ring. Sometimes when they were eating together or on break together, Finn would pull the necklace out just to show Poe. Poe smiled every time he did.

About seven days passed before Leia called Poe into the command center to discuss Kes and the defense grid. As Poe entered the room, his father smiled at him. Rey and Rose were also there, watching from the side of the room.

“Commander, Mr. Dameron has news concerning the planetary defense grid he would like to share,” Leia announced as Poe settled at the table in the center of the room.

“It's good to see you again, Commander,” Kes said with a grin. “The defense grid is complete. We've written several bypass codes that will allow passage for transports and fighters, tailored to the ship's purpose. I've given a code to your squadron's technician Rose, so you can mobilize at a moment's notice.”

“And these codes are secure?” Poe asked.

Kes nodded. “I won't say they're unsliceable, but we've taken painstaking precautions against infiltration. We are trying to defend our home, not some military compound.”

“The motivation's there, then,” Poe agreed. “I'm glad to hear things have been going so well.”

“Commander.” Leia's eyes were focused, that forceful gaze that told everyone around her who she was. “Regarding that _other_ situation, we have given exactly one officer free use of the codes. We'll have to see what they do with it.”

Poe signalled his understanding: Admiral Rall. There had been very little progress in that investigation since Kes had returned, however Leia seemed convinced that Rall's actions were suspect. “I'll keep my starfighter fueled,” Poe informed her.

“Mr. Dameron, is the grid already enabled?” Leia asked.

“We enabled it two days ago,” Kes said.

Leia looked from one of the men at the table to the other. “Then let's see what we can force out of the shadows, shall we?”

“General!”

Every eye in the room trained onto Lieutenant Connix, sitting at a nearby monitoring station. “Yes, Lieutenant?”

“We have reports of three shuttles inbound. They're flying low with stealth systems up. They're heading in from the south. All we have are eye-witness reports. Their descriptions are consistent with First Order transports.”

“Kes, how high can our fighters fly?” Leia asked, standing at the table.

“Several kilometers,” Kes replied. “The grid won't affect anything in-atmo.”

Leia looked at Poe with a frown. “Commander.”

Poe stood to attention and gave Leia a confident smirk. “We're on it.”

Poe, Rose, and Rey rushed out of the command center toward the airfield. As they passed by the mess hall, Rey slowed to a stop. Noticing this, Rose did, as well.

“Rey?” Rose called. “Rey, what is it?”

Rey couldn't explain it to Rose in a way she would understand. Her eyes narrowed and she looked off to the south, where the transports were approaching.

“Rey?”

“Go on ahead, Rose, I'll head there on foot,” Rey said.

“What? Why?” Rose asked.

Rey looked Rose in the eye and said, “I can feel it. There's a dark Force user here.”

 


	4. And Here We Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe, Rey, Finn, and Rose scramble to defend their new home from a surprise invasion by the First Order. Was this invasion a coincidence, or was there someone behind the scenes to pull the strings?

“ _Those transports have turbolasers!_ ”

Poe didn't need to be told that – they were firing on his squad wildly. Snap had already suffered a blow to his ship and was forced to return to the airfield. It was taking more firepower to take down these three transport ships than the entire invasion two weeks ago, and that was beyond irritating.

“What are those things made of?” another X-Wing pilot demanded. “Our shots are just bouncing off of them!”

“Keep at it,” Poe ordered, “and don't let them draw a bead on you!”

“Roger that,” Karé Kun said. Poe saw her X-Wing dip down low, close to treetop level, firing _upwards_ at the transport's underside. Several shots deflected into the trees below by the craft's shields, but one managed to pierce through to slam into its plated belly. The transport bucked and slowed, but kept flying.

“Commander,” General Organa came on over the comms, “we've been had. There is a _land transport_ on the north side of the base. We believe the transports to the south are decoys.”

Poe scoffed, anger rising in his chest. These First Order bastards were tenacious, that's for sure. “You heard the General,” he called to his squadron. “Blue Squadron, keep up the attack here. Black Squadron, with me to the north.”

“On it.” Jess's X-Wing did an impressive pivot and rocketed off to the north, followed by Karé and Poe.

On the ground, Rey climbed up into the lower branches of a tree to watch the three transports approach. The X-Wings and A-Wings above assaulted them with little success, although every now and then Rey could see the hulls of the transports heat up with successful laser fire. The turbolasers mounted atop each transport fired wildly at the bobbing and weaving Resistance pilots, mostly deflecting off shields, but Blue Squadron was not without losses.

As one fighter exploded in mid-air, Rey felt a surge of sadness.

No, not sadness.

Death. Rey _felt_ the pilot die.

She blinked in surprise, then attempted to shake it off. She couldn't be distracted right now.

One of the transports finally suffered enough damage that it was forced to touch down, although its laser continued to launch deadly fire into the air overhead. It landed not far from Rey's hiding spot, only a few dozen meteres off. She realized as soon as it touched the ground that her contribution to this battle was aboard.

The front of the shuttle hissed open, slowly lowering itself into a ramp for its precious cargo. Fifteen or so Stormtroopers rushed out into the forest, firing up at the fighters overhead while charging further north, toward the Resistance base.

“Finn,” Rey said, pressing her comm device into her ear, “we've got Stormtroopers to the south. They're coming right at you.”

“Acknowledged.” Finn's voice seemed different over the comms. Rey wondered if it had anything to do with his prolonged training as a Stormtrooper himself.

A figure emerged from the transport, the final body to do so. It was clad in all black, with a long cloak billowing out behind it. It appeared male, but Rey couldn't really be sure. Its face was covered in a mask not unlike Kylo Ren's, and it walked with a similar self-importance that Rey had seen in Kylo.

“Rey,” General Organa said over comms. Rey could tell by the sound of her voice that _she knew_. “Be careful.”

“Acknowledged,” Rey agreed, turning off her comm device. She watched the shrouded figure saunter to the north, confident and unconcerned with the air battle still waging overhead. As it moved, it slowed, until it came to a complete stop.

The figure turned its head straight toward Rey.

 

Finn readied his rifle and peered over the low-rising walls facing the south side of the base. He had a large number of fellow Resistance fighters behind him, including Rose at his side with a handblaster. She had that gleam in her eye that Finn had seen in so many before – the First Order had taken something from her, and it was her turn to return the favor.

“Steady.” Finn raised his hand in a fist, signalling a hold of all blaster fire. “They may try to flank us if they're on foot. Keep an eye on your three and nine o'clocks.”

Three X-Wings zoomed by overhead, aimed to the north. Finn looked up in time to see BB-8 sticking out of the top of one of them. As the X-Wing vaulted itself out of sight, Finn felt a sense of pride he hadn't felt before. That was the best pilot in the Resistance. The best pilot, who was in love with _him._ It was then that Finn realized that that was _his_ pilot, going off to defend the good guys once again. His hand found the lump on his sternum for a moment before readying his rifle once more.

 

Rey had rather limited experience with fighting someone else wielding a lightsaber, primarily with Kylo Ren. But she had been practicing diligently since Crait, and she now felt much more confident in her ability to control herself in a fight.

That didn't mean she was a master with the weapon, and she was quickly realizing this.

The black-shrouded figure was a true master with the lightsaber. Each of Rey's strikes were deflected with elegance and simplicity both, and she found herself struggling to find appropriate footing to defend herself. If this intruder decided to use any Force powers, Rey would likely be overwhelmed.

After Rey managed to put some distance between them, her assailant threw their lightsaber directly at her, its deadly blade spinning through the air. Rey ducked underneath it easily, but immediately realized what was happening. She felt the Force bend around her opponent, tipping her off about their strategy. She turned in place and brought up her lightsaber, just in time to deflect the return arc of the red-bladed saber. It flew off with an impressive degree of force, but Rey felt that familiar ripple once more as her enemy grabbed it mid-flight and thrust it back at Rey, all without touching the handle.

Rey bent down and turned on her heel, placing herself on the far side of a tree from the dancing lightsaber. She knew it would be coming around for her in a moment, but she was prepared. She flexed her right hand and raised it just in time for the spinning blade to come into view. It stopped solid, trapped between two forces – one aimed for Rey's neck, and the other aimed for the exact opposite.

Solid footsteps could be heard from the other side of the tree as the dark-clad jedi slowly approached her hiding place, giving Rey the tiniest bit of anxiety. The blade above her head moved just enough to cause her to refocus on it. There _had_ to be a way out of this, but with her back pressed up against the tree and her would-be killer nonchalantly approaching it, she was running out of options.

_If a situation isn't to your liking, change it._

The words weren't in Rey's voice, but they were in her mind. Her situation was dire: an armed lightsaber was aimed at her head while she was unable to stop it from keeping her in one place while her enemy slowly encroached. How could she _change_ her situation?

She looked closer at the lightsaber struggling to murder her, then realized her folly. She didn't have to _avoid_ a blade at all.

With a flick of her left wrist, Rey deactivated the lightsaber remotely and allowed it to smack her in the forehead. She winced, but she was alive. She grabbed the lightsaber with her left hand and reactivated it, the countering colors red and blue illuminating her in an eerie violet glow.

Rey bounded out from behind the tree, blades at the ready. Her opponent balked, surprised by this new development. Unarmed, the dark jedi attempted to throw Rey against the tree with the Force, but Rey stood her ground, fighting the sensation mentally. The lightsabers surged with energy, almost as a punctuation to Rey's resistance.

“You're a master with the blade,” Rey admitted, “but you're nowhere near as powerful with the Force as Kylo Ren.” She adopted an aggressive stance with her dual weapons, her eyes narrowed and dangerous. “I _am_.”

 

Quite a few Stormtrooper bodies littered the outer limits of the Resistance base, each the result of a particularly good shot by Finn or his allies. Unfortunately, they had also lost quite a few, their ground numbers dwindling from injury or worse. Rose herself had taken a blaster bolt to the shoulder, although it had barely grazed her.

Finn figured that a second southern transport had been able to safely touch down, considering the Troopers' numbers. They hadn't attempted to flank the base, which confused Finn – such a straightforward tactic was usually reserved for decoys. Was the northern assault the true invasion?

“The northern transport has been neutralized,” Poe sounded over comms. “Returning to base for supporting fire.”

“Copy that,” Finn replied. “We're pinned down.”

“What's the status of the southern raid, Blue Squadron?” Poe asked.

“A second transport touched down a few minutes ago, and the third has maintained its shields. We've fired on ground forces, but that transport had a _lot_ of soldiers.”

“Don't let that third transport touch down,” Poe ordered. “Black Squadron, south side.”

“Roger that,” Jess said, just as Finn saw three X-Wings zoom by overhead. Some Stormtroopers aimed up at it, which gave Finn a vital opening. With three quick bursts of fire from his rifle, three more Troopers went down hard.

“No need,” a pilot said, his smile evident in his voice. “The third transport is down!”

Indeed, Finn heard the percussion of an explosion from the south. Several Resistance members cheered.

“General Organa,” Rey's voice sounded. Finn blinked, surprised. “I've got a prisoner you might be interested in. Requesting a pickup near the first downed transport to the south.”

“On it,” Poe said.

The remaining Stormtroopers slowed their approach. The base-wide communication system went live. “First Order soldiers,” Leia's voice boomed, “lay down your weapons and you will be spared. Your assault has failed.”

The Stormtroopers looked at each other, most likely using their helmet comms to discuss their options. Finn had his rifle trained on one, ready to pull the trigger if their rifle lifted. Instead, the remaining Troops threw their weapons to the ground and lifted their hands into the air in surrender.

The Resistance cheered, Finn included.

 

The interrogation room was just the auditorium they'd used for Poe's court-martial, refitted for a prisoner instead of a member of the Resistance. Rey had appeared after the battle with two lightsabers and an unconscious man in a black cloak and a metal mask. She was a little busted up, with a bleeding lip and a bruise on her forehead, but she had managed to take out a member of the Knights of Ren on her own.

When Leia saw their prisoner, her entire visage mutated. She looked older, less resolute. Poe hated seeing her like that, and she looked like that any time something from Ben Solo's past appeared in her life.

Poe led the interrogation, with Rey, Leia, Admiral Rall, and Finn standing behind him with a variety of expressions between them.

“You're one of the Knights of Ren,” Poe accused, his voice steady and his eyes stern.

The prisoner said nothing, his now-revealed face sunken, pale, and without emotion.

“Orrin Albose,” Leia said.

The prisoner jerked in response, his eyes suddenly dark and angry. “That name no longer exists,” he spat. “I am Ranos, the Blade of Ren.”

“Well, then,” Poe said with a mock bow. “We're the Resistance. And you're our prisoner. Better get comfortable, Orrin.”

Ranos thrashed in his seat, his hands and feet bound to that spot. He snarled.

“How did you get through the defense grid?” Poe asked.

“Wouldn't you like to know,” Ranos sneered. He grinned. “I'll take it to my grave, scum.”

“He's obviously not going to give us any information,” Admiral Rall urged. “We might as well just lock him up and forget about him.”

Leia and Poe both shook their heads.

Poe bent down and looked Ranos in the eye. “Listen. We want to compromise.”

“ _Compromise?_ ” Admiral Rall nearly shrieked the word. “No. We do not compromise with filth like the Order.”

Ranos laughed, surprising everyone in the room. “A compromise? What kind?” he asked with a sly grin.

“We're going to let you go,” Poe said, still bent down to be at eye level with the prisoner. “You can go back to the Order if you want. But in return, tell us how you got through the defense grid.”

“This is moronic,” Rall said quietly, crossing his arms and looking away.

Ranos looked at Poe with amusement. “You really think I'd tell you the truth?”

Poe shrugged. “That's your choice. Can't force you to do anything. But when you go to bed tonight, will your conscience allow you to sleep well, knowing you didn't honor your end of a bargain to save your own life? The dark side isn't about lying, it's about ambition. We're giving you the opportunity to return to your life, and to seek out what you want from it. All we ask for is the truth.”

Ranos searched Poe's eyes for any hint of deception. _Surely_ the Resistance wouldn't be so foolish as to release one of the Knights of Ren back into the arms of the Order. It made no sense.

The Knight looked over at Admiral Rall and nodded in his direction. “Him. Rall gave us the entry codes through the grid two days ago, when it went live. We made planetfall yesterday.”

Rey narrowed her eyes at the Admiral, her hand suddenly clutching her lightsaber. The Admiral simply laughed.

“Oh, _please_ , do you really expect them to believe such a tall tale?” he demanded. He looked at Leia, who was similarly staring at the Admiral. “General, surely you don't believe that?”

“Yes.” The single word had enough force to freeze a man's heart. Poe felt chills just being in the same room as the General at that moment.

Finn moved behind the Admiral and grabbed him by the wrists. The Admiral, a middle-aged man past his fighting prime, could do little to wriggle out of Finn's superior strength.

“ _Let me go!_ This is insanity!” he cried, but Finn held tight.

“Admiral Rall, you're hereby under arrest for suspicion of treason against the Resistance,” Leia stated. “Captain, if you would please see him to the holding cells. He can go in with the other Troopers we've collected.”

Finn pulled the Admiral out of the room and forced him down the hall, toward their impromptu jail cells. The Admiral raged and screamed the whole way.

“How do you know I'm not lying?” Ranos asked, his eyes surprisingly clear and directed at the General.

Leia gave Ranos a small, sad smile. “Do you know who I am, Orrin?”

Ranos' eye twitched at the name, but he nodded calmly. “You're General Leia Organa.”

“I am Darth Vader's daughter,” Leia replied, her smile persisting. “I am Luke Skywalker's sister. I am not afraid to admit that I could be wrong, but I know when I'm not.”

Poe unbound Ranos' shackles and allowed him to stand up. “We'll escort you to an unarmed shuttle with the codes to leave the planet,” he said. “From there, you're on your own.”

Ranos hesitated. “You really are going to keep your word?” he asked.

Poe gave him a smirk and a pat on the shoulder. “You know, most people can be trusted, at least a little.”

“But you'll have to make a new lightsaber yourself,” Rey added. “I broke yours. Sorry.”

Ranos laughed, and its clear, ringing quality actually made Rey smile. “You all are complete idiots, but I respect your integrity.”

“We _will_ have our AA guns trained on you until you're out of the defense grid,” Leia replied.

Ranos chuckled. “I suppose that's fair.”

Ranos upheld his end of the bargain, and the transport left peacefully into low orbit. Kes informed Poe that the clearance codes were being constantly being rewritten. Rall had been baited with specific codes that would tell the Resistance if they'd fallen into the Order's hands. Utilizing the access logs in Beyton, Kes had determined that Rall had allowed entry from outside using his special codes. _That_ is what put the Admiral in the brig. Ranos' testimony simply solidified the evidence.

Plus, Poe realized, it felt nice to let someone go, just this once.

 

That evening, there was a celebration and mourning for those who had died in the defense of the base. Afterward, there was a real celebration, as the many remaining members of the Resistance finally felt like they had a home again. Some were even granted apartments in Beyton. Poe was offered a place in his childhood home, but he declined on the grounds that he belonged with the Resistance right now.

His father understood, and bid his son farewell for now with a hearty handshake and a big hug. He then returned to Beyton without so much as another word.

Following the celebrations, the members of the Resistance scattered. Out on a grassy hill near the base, one of the few clearings in the surrounding forest, Poe, Rey, Finn, and a patched up Rose all sat together, looking out at the stars.

“Everything is so clear out here,” Rey admired. “It's like it's just us and the stars.”

“And the trees,” Rose piped. Everyone laughed.

“We made it,” Poe said, his voice light and airy. “We made a new home for ourselves. For the Resistance. For hope.”

“And we defended it,” Finn added. “We kept our new home and our family safe.”

“I, for one, love my new home,” Rose said. “And I love my family. You guys are awesome. I'm so glad I got to be part of it.”

“Well we're glad you tazed Finn,” Poe said over his shoulder at her. Everyone but Finn laughed.

“I couldn't feel my teeth,” Finn said quietly.

After a moment, Rose asked, “Would you have ever guessed we'd be here, on Yavin, on an established base, looking up at the stars like this?”

“There were a lot of places we could have gone,” Poe replied, “but Leia wanted Yavin. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it's great being back.”

“And with us in tow,” Rey added. Poe laughed.

“I'm just glad you guys are with me,” Poe whispered. He wasn't sure if anyone heard him.

Finn shifted over to sit next to Poe as they looked up into the heavens. He put his hand on Poe's, drawing the pilot's gaze down to him. When Finn didn't say a word, Poe looked down at their hands and smiled. Poe looked back up at the stars, his heart light and his head clear.

Finally, Finn spoke out into the night:

“And here we are.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> This rounds off the "Poe arc" of my series. It was a lot of fun to write, and I'm excited to keep going. Finn's arc is next, with a return to Canto Bight and a few familiar faces.
> 
> I want to thank everyone who has commented and kudos'd my stories over the past two weeks. I really do thrive on positive reinforcement, and the more I get, the more I write. If you see something in one of my works that you like, let me know! If you see something you _don't_ like, let me know anyway! I want to improve, and I need feedback to do so.
> 
> Again, thank you for reading, and I'll catch everyone in Canto Bight with Finn in the next installment of "End of an Era!"


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